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| Click on Image to Enlarge Counter-Clockwise From Top Left First Flower, First Cucumber, Mutation, Harvested Fruit |
Optimism soared when, in late August, our first pickling cucumber plants flowered and began to produce fruit. The elation didn't last long, though as cucumber confusion began turning our promising pickling crop into gourd-like mutations.
I asked several seasoned gardeners if they'd ever seen anything like my strange cucumbers; and, each response was a resounding, "No." One suggested there might have been something wrong with the seeds.
With genetic mutation the likely culprit, I realized there was no way we could risk eating the cucumbers; so, I photographed the imperfect harvest, inside and out, and then discarded them. Interestingly, when cut open, the cucs looked and smelled pretty much as they should.
The seeds from this year's failed cucumber crop came from a seed share table at the Seedy Saturday I attended in April. Next year, I'll be much more careful where I purchase the seeds I use to grow my vegetables and hope for a better outcome.
And, though I didn't get the cucumber crop I'd hoped would yield some home-grown dill pickles, my confused cucumbers have certainly gifted me an intriguing story to tell and some fascinating photos.
